Lisa Kudrow, Vanessa Williams on 'WDYTYA'

Lisa Kudrow has said that working on Who Do You Think You Are? has been a “fulfilling” experience for her.

The actress serves as executive producer on the NBC genealogy show, based on the British program of the same name, and also traced her own roots for an episode broadcast on the first season.

“This has been really fulfilling, and to be able to bring a show like this to a network like NBC who were brave enough to show it... This is the big honor, that I can be involved in a show like this which is entertaining and informative,” she told reporters on a recent press call.

The first episode of the second season, which premieres tonight, will see Vanessa Williams delving into her past and discovering previously unknown information about both her great-great-grandfathers.

“We are lucky to have her do the show,” said Kudrow. “She is intellectually curious, she's a fan of history, and when someone is invested in learning and finding out... The information is what's important here, not what kind of information.”

Williams, who currently stars on Desperate Housewives, agreed that she had no fears going into the experience about what she might discover through her research, saying: “I was scared of nothing because I'm fascinated about history and any information is telling. I couldn't wait to find out anything, whether it was a scandal, a scoundrel."

She also said that she had been thrilled with the amount of records that had been uncovered during her search, explaining: "Being an African American, you never know what you will find because of the lack of information we have due to no records.

"It was wonderful being able to put on those white gloves and see the actual documents, and handle them, read the names, see the censuses and put the pieces of the puzzle together... The journey I went on was extraordinary and very surprising but also really gratifying and I felt so honored."

She added that she now plans to pass the information she learned about her ancestors during her journey on to her own family and children, and said that she hopes the show inspires others to look into their own past.

"I hope this is a slice of what could be discovered, particularly for black people living in the United States and also creating history," she said. "I hope it inspires them to ask questions and start their own research.

"If they don't have the tools there are plenty of avenues that can help them find out."

Other stars who will trace their roots this season include Steve Buscemi, Gwyneth Paltrow, Tim McGraw, Rosie O'Donnell, Ashley Judd, Lionel Richie and Kim Cattrall.